Washington state lists parks with bike/hike campsites

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission launched its new “interactive” website last week at www.parks.wa.gov.

Carter Creek campsites in Iron Horse State Park

I immediately tested its “search” function for a topic near-and-dear to my heart — bike/hike campsites. Happily, I discovered that more than a dozen of Washington’s 100 state parks host campsites that are set aside for those who arrive under their power.

The predecessor website never revealed this information.

Bike-hike campsites are commonly first-come first-served, reduced rate campsites reserved for those who arrive at the park by bicycle, by foot, or by kayak or canoe.

Here’s a list of bicycle-friendly and biker – hiker campsites in Washington state parks :

As you can see, the campsites are concentrated in western Washington. Many other Washington state parks have camping facilities; these are the only ones listed with biker/hiker campsites.

Advantages

One advantage of biker/hiker campsites is that people traveling under their own power can’t always predict how far they’ll get in one day. If one campground is full, it’s not always possible to pedal through the night to the next site.

Also, many of the bike-hike campgrounds are communal, so there’s always room for one more traveler.

They should be easy enough build. You just need some flat spaces, a fire ring and a picnic table or two. You don’t need a 400-square-foot pad to park a recreational vehicle or electrical hook-ups.

I’d like to see all the state campgrounds have a couple of biker-hiker spots. Virginia, for instance, has a policy that all state campgrounds set aside an area for bicyclists to pitch their tents, even when the campground is otherwise full. The Virginia Bicycling Federation explains the details.

Although Washington state doesn’t have such an official policy, I was assured by a parks customer service specialist several years ago that “they would do their best not to turn away any camper arriving under their own power (hiking or biking) but would find a site even if it was just for the night.”

Please cite where you found that Indiana’s state parks guarantee camping. I ask this because last night, I was turned away from Indiana Dunes State Park on my bike during a bike overnight, looking for a campsite. I explained that I had learned Indiana has a no-turn-away policy, and no one there knew what I was talking about, including the attendant, the head of security at the park, and a ranger.

I’m very sorry that happened, Nick. I double-backed and tried to find the information regarding Indiana and couldn’t. I first reported that back in 2012, when Virginia instituted its “guaranteed camping” policy for cyclists. I can only think it appeared in a comment or forum discussion at the time, but that no longer exists online. I emailed the Indiana DNR to confirm that they don’t have such a policy, and I’ve stricken it from this website.

The hiker/biker sites are less expensive. Primitive campsites are $12 per night, while standard campsites are $25 to $35 a night. Camp sites tricked out with electricity are up to $45 a night during the summer.

Washington State law provides the opportunity for the park ranger to accommodate a hiker/biker that shows up to a full campground. It would be nice if it was mandatory, but this is at least a start.

Chapter 352-32 WAC Definitions
“Emergency area” is an area in the park separate from the designated overnight camping area, which the park manager decides may be used for camping when no alternative camping facilities are available within reasonable driving distances.

352-32-030 WAC
Camping.
Section 12
Emergency camping areas may be used only when all designated campsites are full and at the park ranger’s discretion. Persons using emergency areas must pay the applicable campsite fee and must vacate the site when directed by the park ranger.

We were just turned away from Fort Warden, apparently their H/B sites aren’t communal and filled up. A nice lady overheard this and has let us sleep on the edge of her site. Womp womp. I’ve grown so accustomed to not having to worry about arrival time at a space that claims to be Hike/bike. I wish theee were clear expectations laid out.

[…] and private campgrounds rarely have a hiker biker discount, state parks (especially in Oregon, Washington, and Montana) are great about it. Also hiker/biker sites cannot be reserved in all the states we […]

A tradition for tandem cyclists dating back to 1988, the rally has been dubbed the “Love Ride” due to the couples on tandems and proximity to Valentine’s Day. Three options of 40, 60, or 100 miles around the famous Sutter Buttes ~ a series of mountain peaks made up of ancient volcanic domes. Starting from …

Stinky Spoke is a 16-mile ride over a mountain bike course in hills east of Sammamish River Trail. New tour operators in 2019 — Rotary Club of Redmond. Check website for tour details as previous years’ host site – Redhook Brewery — has closed. Ride starts at Redmond Town Hall complex, then proceeds to Sammamish …